Dhaka, July 18 -- The first-ever cargo ship, carrying stone aggregates from Bhutan through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route, was formally received at Narayanganj on Thursday.

Indian High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das and Bhutanese Ambassador Sonam T Rabgye, along with the Vice-Chairman of Bashundhara Group Safwan Sobhan, received the consignment.

'MV AAI' of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) was digitally flagged off on July 12 by Mansukh Mandaviya, the Indian State Minister for Shipping. It is carrying 1000 metric tonnes of stones of stone aggregates which would have required more than 50 trucks to transport by road.

The ship sailed from Assam's Dhubri, which was declared a port of call in October 2018, and travelled to...